Tropical Heat

Mandevilla on Aunt V's porch

Angel's Trumpet or Brugmansia at Aunt V

A look inside

Exotic bloom

  

Tuberous begonia

Hibiscus moscheutos

                                                                       

My canna in a half whisky barrel

As July is coming to an end, the season of optimum perennial bloom is fading fast.  Those dog days (technically July 3 to August 11) of summer are upon us. The grass is still quite green this year but the vibrancy of all the natural greens is fading. The many insects are also doing their damage. Leaves are becoming holey and before I snap a closeup I sometimes have to blow a creature out of the flower's throat.

The golden yellow rudbeckia dominate, for better or for worse, the sedum and ornamental grasses are beginning to show their stuff and mums have a few blooms. We have to wait until fall for the next spectacular show of color here in Michigan. Of course, my opinion.

However, the annual flowers  sustain us with some bright colors. At Erica's house today the marigold, zinnia, coleus and blue salvia continue to bloom and grow.

Also, the hot-hued tropical plants are very popular and have been enjoying the steamy weather this summer.

I have saved some yellow tuberous begonias in two hanging baskets for years--they nearly die of neglect overwintering in the basement, but always come back to astound me when brought outdoors and watered in the spring.

Rose of Sharon

Even in completely unkempt front yards of economically disadvantaged neighborhoods around town I see prolific blooms on the Rose of Sharon (Althea, Syrian Hibiscus) shrubs and small trees, one other example of surprising beauty in the late summer landscape. (When I think of hibiscus, I think southern and tropical). The other hardy hibiscus that survives in this zone (H. moscheutos) was beginning to flower this week, in pink and white and red--packing quite a punch with its huge bloom size. I stopped the car twice on a nearby street to capture the beauty. (Didn't have time to stop when I saw a gorgeous red one).

Blooming on the street?

Some canna bulbs were being given away three years ago and I didn't really feel like saving them in the basement, but yet I did, and they do add some bright red drama to the yard at this time of the year. A recent Horticulture magazine article actually refers to the canna as drama queens.

Here is the one in the pond and yes, it is growing just fine with its soggy bottom:

Canna in the pond

Rudbeckia Rules

Rudbeckia 'Goldstrum'

The 'Goldstrum' is a very popular cultivar (1999 PPA plant of the year) and a bit over-planted all over town. It also spreads like crazy, which is okay if you have large expanses to fill that need some mid-to-late summer bold color. The clump above has spread a second time to the front of this large perennial garden at Aunt V. The large patches of several cultivars of these black-eyed susans are dominating the garden right now.

The tall asters also have spread too much and need to be aggressively dealt with once again. Everything grew so fast this year that I neglected to cut back the asters by 1/3 at the opportune time. That helps control the height (they flop) and varies the bloom time a bit if you prune selectively. I'll try to include a shot next month, although neither my aunt nor I am fond of the tall fall asters. This year, as you can imagine, they are extra giant. Large gardens like this that are allowed (somewhat) to go their own way can become chaotic by this time of the year! Just look around town for the chaos. Some say they have cottage gardens. I have other choice descriptive words.

We planted some Russian sage in a few areas that looked a little sparse this spring. Now I can't even find these "fledglings"--they will eventually be tall enough to show up, I hope.

Here is another photo of the ever-expanding chaos in the garden:

The plants in the front are re-seeding celosia that will be quite dramatic in a few weeks. They are the only annuals in the garden, unless you count the blue salvia (not visible) which came back very sparsely this year. Usually it lines the entire front.

The tall green stuff along with a few shorter varieties are the asters. The largest green poof (center right) we think is unwanted--it's looming large this year--does anybody have a guess what it is?

Victoria Blue Salvia with Rudbeckia and Butterfly Bush

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Charlie in the Limelight (Hydrangea)

When I hear the phrase "all things bright and beautiful" I don't first recall the title line of the old hymn, or think of flowers blooming in the garden. I think of the first book, published in 1974,  in a series of four by James Herriot, which recount his experiences as a veterinarian in Yorkshire, England. A fifth book, Every Living Thing was published in 1992. I read and relished all his books. Even though I never liked the actor that played James in the BBC series, I watched every episode. I spent my childhood on a farm, loved all animals and thought it would be cool to be a veterinarian when I grew up, so I naturally gravitated to the stories which I first read while still in my twenties. I also own a small book called Animal Stories which I purchased  recently and a children's book called Moses the Kitten.

Now I don't have even one living thing (animal) to nurture. Jay the Goldfish was kept alive for over four years on my kitchen counter and just died late last fall. All I have left is occasionally taking care of my uncle's dog, Charlie, and recently--old Ana. Charlie is a young dog and I bonded with him as a rambunctious puppy. Now when I garden at my aunt's, the dog follows me around and still always gets in the picture--sometimes just a head or tail shows up.

Charlie is always hunting for something that I rarely see. He did find a nest of bunnies this spring and recently I found a half chewed small turtle in the grass. Last week he had a violently noisy altercation with a big orange cat that ventured on the property, but both seemed to be unscathed by the incident.

I occasionally save a McDouble bun for the dogs, so they greet me with great enthusiasm when I come. Gratifying, I suppose, even if it's only about the food I bring!

Sadly, years ago I contracted a nasty case of poison ivy from Bailey, the dog Charlie replaced, and so I tend to not pet the dogs in the summertime--I show my affection with my voice and the bits of McDonald buns that I toss to them.

Animals of every kind will always hold a bright and beautiful spot in God's creation. The series of books and television programs that followed the publication of that first book, All Things Bright and Beautiful, are still popular. Complete DVD sets of the films are available and even T-shirts:

  

All Creatures Great and Small

GRASSHOPPERS INVADE GUSTAVO'S GARDEN!

Today I opened an email from Rebecca with these photos taken by Gustavo attached. They were invaded yesterday by these hungry hoppers, quite alarmed to find this infestation of large (see tape measure) creatures who had become "occupiers" of a large plant a few feet from their backyard patio dining table. At first they thought it was a "plague of locusts."

Now Gustavo is tender-hearted to all creatures great and small, but even he soon realized that these voracious munchers could quickly decimate the plant if allowed to freely lunch there. This is a large palm-like plant with thick, stiff leaves that I have cleaned up several times in the spring when I visit--an unlikely choice for easy chewing in my opinion.

Well, apparently the wasp spray they found in the garage was not sufficiently lethal. They were forced to witness the rather gruesome and slow demise of these beautiful creatures (that God made, probably from some award-winning angel design). It was not a pretty sight. War never is.

It is unfortunate that sin began in a garden . . . .

All things bright and beautiful,

all creatures great and small,

all things wise and wonderful:

the Lord God made them all. 

 

All Things Wise and Wonderful

I wish I had access to time lapse photography. Today the heat index locally was 95-100 degrees. We had several inches of rain yesterday. I'm guessing that the corn (and tomatoes and zucchini and weeds) are growing at a near perceptible rate. Or, as we used to say, You could hear the corn grow. Here is a photo of my uncle's tall sweet corn:

I've been reflecting on the evils of corn this year (on my other blog) but I think I am beginning to crave it. All my deprivation talk has driven me to obsess a little. My aunt mentioned to me that in their patch there are two ears of sweet corn on every stalk--enough to share, most likely. Freshly picked organic yellow corn with sweet cream butter....would it be as good as I remember? I checked out the development of the ear doubles with my camera:

At a garage sale last week I wasted a dollar (what was I thinking?) on this hokey (corny?) Avon butter dish that accommodates a stick of butter and some corn holders:

Bees were busy helping to pollinate the sweet corn as the tassels were dropping pollen on the silk. It will be a few weeks before this corn is ready:

The main crop that we hoped was successful on the farm where I grew up was (field) corn. The hay could be harvested a second or even a third time with enough rain, but the corn had one chance, come hail or high wind or drought. It was our yellow gold, our bread and butter.

I worked hard for a few days every August to help my mother "put up" the (sweet) corn. I had to help pick, shuck, boil and plunge it into a cold water bath--literally the family bath tub! I think my mother always cut the kernels off the cob--in long strips, drawing the knife towards her, the blunt end of the ear secured by her mid-section. All I remember is freezing the corn--packing it into plastic bags--no ziplocks. It was a hot and messy process, with gluey corn residue everywhere. Flies were drawn in droves to the shucks and scalped corn ears that accumulated just outside the kitchen door.

So as you can imagine, my relationship to corn is somewhat complex! To deny the signifigance of corn in my life is to reject a part of my youth.The fresh local corn is still under development, so I can reflect a little longer on whether I should indulge in this year's harvest--what would be wise and what would be wonderful?

I can't imagine corn without a plate of sliced red tomatoes. This is the first tomato picked in my aunt's garden--small and almost fully ripe. More are coming!

 

Forever and Ever Hydrangea

My Photo of the Day:

Forever and Ever Peppermint

When you plant and fertilize one of the hydrangeas that can be pink or blue or somewhere in between you never know what the blooms will look like and unless you grow them in a controlled container they can change over time according to the acidity levels in the soil. My neighbor bought this plant last year and checks it every day after work to see how the colors are developing! It is a small plant with 3 blooms, this one most interesting.

Lilies of Late

It has been over a month since I began to photograph lilies. I still have a couple of lilies that are only in bud today on the 17th of July. The lilies that are in bloom now are highly fragrant and are probably oriental lilies. The Stargazer is a very common one and is used in floral shop bouquets. The hybrids like Orienpet (oriental & trumpet) or the LO which is an Easter lily and a trumpet (a nice mix!) are not as intoxicatingly potent as the orientals. The perfume of a highly fragrant lily will permeate the whole yard and cannot be safely used inside--old people especially will find the odor nearly takes their breath away! Here is  a beautiful pure white oriental lily taken at church, most likely 'Casa Blanca':

I found another tall, leaning, unstaked 'Casa Blanca' at Aunt V's :

I also saw many more blooming daylilies and I even know some of their names. This one is from my yard and I did a bit of editing:

I read once in a gardening magazine that an old man carefully covered his many daylily blooms with plastic bags when he sprinkled. He must have had nothing else to do. Now the so-called mush-mummies from dayliles are very slimy and unattractive, especially when wet, and do need to be removed if you want your daylily garden to look photo perfect. But a daylily is just that--a bloom for a day and to cover them for sprinkling is a bit ridiculous. The lily above seems to have survived a sprinkling quite nicely. Below, some daylilies at Aunt V's. El Desperado is most outstanding for its sheer number of buds!
 

 El Desperado

 Daylily 'Green Tarantula'

'Monster'

 There is nothing less attractive on a daylily than mush-mummies. Here is the last mushy mummy on my 'Peacock Maiden':

Here is the well known hybrid oriental, Stargazer, blooming at church:

At home in my shady garden I get a smaller bloom in an overgrown Monarda patch:

I could almost tolerate these lilies in the house for an afternoon:

Tongue Twister of the Day: Mummies munch much mush.

Summer Glads?

My Sad-iolas

July is for gladiolas. We actually participated in a weekend Gladiola Festival in a previous community south of Chicago where we lived for a few years. All I really remember about it is from a few photographs--my husband is comparatively slim, carrying a cooler of cold drinks served by the youth group from our church during the parade and festivities. He was actually jogging down country roads lined with corn at that time, back when our oldest daughter, Rebecca, was just 4 years old. We have a happy photo of her on her hot wheel cycle holding up her blue ribbon, having triumphed over all the boys in the race, coached by her Dad with a winning strategy. The caption reads "She'll always be a winner."

For years Rebecca bought two or three bunches of "glads" for my birthday on July 18. They are readily available in the middle of July and always look rather dramatic for a few days.

I purchased the glads above, displaying them in a large teak vase from Indonesia. My husband was in Jakarta to teach a class in January of 2009 and I asked him to try to bring home something teak for me and I was glad he found this nice piece. I lined the solid wood vase with a large plastic cup from Mickey D's.

Sunday he looked at the gladiolas and suggested they looked like sadiolas and I agreed. I had neglected to compost them (more of an effort than throwing them in the trash).

Sunday evening Rebecca was visiting for just a day following a reunion and I filled the vase with white hydrangeas which I think she appreciated more than the traditional summer glads. I meant to remind her of the glads she used to buy for me but time was short and the subject never came up.

A First Year Gardener

My daughter Erica was given control over some small sections of available planting real estate at her rental house this year and became a novice gardener. I went with her in May to help pick some appropriate annual flowers and she picked out a variety of tomatoes, including one pretty heirloom, peppers, a couple of eggplants, pole bean seeds, zucchini seeds and more. I suggested some Osmocote and Miracle Gro. She had enough tools and some tomato cages and a hose and watering can. Her soil looked good and there was a large mound of several years worth of compost on the side of the garage so we filled up all containers with this rich soil and Osmocote rather than buy any bagged potting soil. She also amended the vegetable bed soil a bit with the compost.

The coleus, salvia and marigolds are on the shadier end of the vegetable garden sidewalk border. They have grown quite nicely, from the small plugs in the flower flats. She was quite intrigued by the variety of coleus colors available, although some of my favorite new ones were not in the mix.

I stopped by yesterday to quickly snap these photos, weeds and all. No time to deadhead either, but they look pretty good.

How exciting to harvest the first zucchini of the season!
 

The edging of mixed lettuce has bolted but still looks attractive as a border along the sidewalk:

 

The plants below are perennial, Echinacea (purple coneflower) and dusty miller--which flowers yellow after the first year. Salvia and marigolds were added. Sometimes this blue salvia returns, but it is not reliable in zone 5 and is considered an annual.

We chose the basic stuff, inexpensive and good enough. A spike and petunias (and a large weed visible on the left side!) accent these coleus. I had some old green pots for impatiens and she had four hooks on the edge of the garage. 

We have had above average rainfall this year but the hot days of July require faithful watering and it looks like my daughter has learned well (by osmosis?) from the Queen of Watering.